Tufted fabrics



(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 1.

' A. L. SKINNER.

LOOM FOR WEAVING TUFTED- FABRICS. No. 251,304. Patented Dec. 20,1881.

N. PETERS. Pholo-Lflhognpher. Wnhington. 0.1:.

6 Sheets-Sheet 2. A. L. SKINNER.

LOOM FOR, WEAVINGFTUF-TED FABRICS.

Patented Dec. 20,1881.

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(No Model.) s Sheets -Sheet 4.

A; L. SKINNER.

LOOM FOR WEAVING TUFTED FABRIGS. No. 251,304. Patented Dec. 20,1881.

(No Model.) G'Sheets- Sheet 5.

A, L. SKI-NNER. LOOM FOR WEAVING TUFTED FABRICS.

No. 251,304. Patented Dec. 20,1881.

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7/ gill/i I N, FFTERS. Phalvulhognphor. via-amen. IL Q (No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 6. A. L. SKINNER.

1.00M FOB. WEAVING TUFTED FABRICS. No. 251,304, Patented Dec. 20,1881.

W I .5 N

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT L. SKINNER, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK.

LOOM FOR WEAVING TUFTED FABRICS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 251,304, dated December 20, 1881,

Application filed April 16,188l.

To all "whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALBERT L. SKINNER, of Yonkers, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in Looms for Weaving'lufted Fabrics; and I do hereby declare that the following is a specification of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention is more particularly designed for the weaving by power of what are known as Moquette carpets, but may be wholly or in part applicable to power-looms for weaving other tufted fabrics.

It relates to the mcansemployed for presenting the tuft-yarn spools in proper po-ition for the yarn to be taken therefrom for making the tufts; also, to the means employed for drawing olf the tuft-yarns from the spools and cutting them in proper lengths for the tufts, preparatory to their insertion into the web; and, further, to the means of inserting the tufts into the web.

In carrying out my invention the tuft-yarns are or may be supplied, as in other powerlooms for weaving tufted goods, from a series of spools mounted in frames or carriages carried by chains,which presentthem successively in proper order in the position in which the tuft-yarns are taken from them; but the spools so carried and operated do not, as iii-some such looms, require to be removed from the carrying-chains during the operation of weaving, except for the purpose of changing empty ones for full ones or for repair.

One part of the invention consists in the novel construction of the spool-carriages and a novel and simple method of securing them to the chains with sufficient firmness to enable the yarn to be drawn off from the spools and cut off when the spools are presented in the proper position.

Another part of the invention consists in a novel system of clamps for drawing the tuftyarns from the spools in proper quantities for the tufts and the novel combination, with such clamps, ofcutters which, while the yarn is held by said clamps, cut it off between the said clamps and the spools into tuft-pieces of proper length to form the tufts.

Another partof my invention consists in the novel construction of and method of operating a set of nippers, by which the entire operation (No model.)

of inserting the tuft-pieces into the warp is performed, the points of said nippers passing twice through the warp from the back thereof and returning in the operation of inserting each course of tuft-pieces.

The invention also includes certain details, to be hereinafter fully described, of the mechanism employed for producing the operations of the clamps, the cutters, and the nippers hereinabove mentioned.

Before proceeding to describe the invention in detail I will state that in a loom embodying these improvements and having its parts arranged for weaving the web in a horizontal position the fabric is woven with its back up ward, and that both ends of the tufts are inserted in a downward direction from the back of the fabric, and all the tufting devices are arranged and operate in the loom above the position occupied therein by the warp, or, in other words,are all above the plane of the web.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a nearly central longitudinal vertical section of a loom, showing the parts involved in this invention, but having omitted all parts not necessary for the illustration of the invention. Fig. 2 is a front view of the principal parts. Fig. 3 is a plan of the tult-yarn cutters and their operative mechanism. Fl 4 is a plan of the tuft-yarn clamps and their operating mechanism. Fig. 5 is a transverse section of the tuft-yarn clamps. Fig. 6 is a side view of a portion of the mechanism for operating the said clamps. Figs. 7, 8, 9 are side views of different portions of the mechanism for operating the tuft-inserting nippers. Fig. 10 is a plan of the whole of the mechanism for operating the tuft-inserting nippers. Fig. 11 is a longitudinal section of the tuft-inserting nippers. Fig. 12 is a transverse section of the same. Fig. 13 exhibits a side view of a portion of one of the spool-carrying chains, with some of the spool-carriages and their spools, and shows also, in section, portions of the clamps, cutters, and nippers. Fig. 14 is a front view of a portion of one of the chains and parts of the lower chain-shaft and one of the spoolcarriages and spools. Fig. 15 is a face view of one of the tins through which the tuftyarns are delivered from the spools. Fig. 16 is an axial sectional view of one of the spools and parts of its carriage and of one of the chains. Fig. 17 is a side view, partly in section, corresponding with Fig. 16. Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7,8, 9, and 10 are all on one scale. Figs. 5, 11, and 12 are on a larger scale, and Figs. 13,14, 15 on still larger scales. Figs. 16 and 17 are yet further enlarged.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

The main framing A of the loom, with the breast-beam B and the web-supportingplate in rear of the said beam, may be and are represented of ordinary form and construction.

The lay L may be operated by any suitable means, but is represented in Fig. 1 as operated by a four-leaved cam, L, on the main shaft S, through a lever, L and connecting-rod L The heddles and other parts not herein described, and represented in the drawings, may be constructed, arranged, and operated as in other looms for weaving tufted fabrics-for instance, that described in expired Letters Patent No. 16,037, granted November 4, 1856, to Smith and Skinner. I prefertouseaneedlefor inserting the weft, as that does not require so great an opening of the shed as is required by a shuttle.

The spool-carrying chains 1) are arranged and operated as inother looms for weaving tufted fabrics-as, for instance, in the loom which is the subject-matter of the above-mentioned expired Patent No. 16,037. Only a portion of one of these chains D, and of its lower shaft,1), are represented, (see Figs. 1 13, 14,16,) these being sufficient to illustrate the improvement. The shaft is supported between center screw-bearings, d cl, secured in arms A, secured to the main framing. The plates to a 07, forming the links of the chains, are made with concave side edges, so that they will fit the peripheries of the wheels D provided for them on the shaft 1), in the manner shown in Figs. 1 and 13, and thereby be held perfectly steady while in contact with the lower parts of said peripheries.

The spool-carriages consist each of a bar, E, to which the tuft-yarn tins or holders 1) b are attached, and two plates, E, secured rigidly one to each end of the said bar E, and projecting at right angles thereto, as shown in Figs. 14, 16, 17. These end plates, E, have their ends forked into three prongs, of which the two outer ones, 6 c, are offset outward,

and the central one, 0, is set inward, as shown best in Fig. 16. These carriages are secured to the chains by each journalfof each spool passing. through a hole in the central prong, c, of the forked end plate, E, of a spool-carriage, and through a corresponding hole in the center of one of the inner links, a, of the chain, and the offset bottoms of the prongs of each spool-carriage fork are thereby held rigidly against the edge of alink, a, and rigid connections arethereby made between the spool-carriages and the chains, while the journals of the spools are free to turn in bearings which are constituted for them by aforesaid holes in the prongs e and links a.

In order to provide for the insertion of the spool-carriages and spools into the chains and their detachment therefrom, the journalsfare so attached to their spools, as shown in Fig. 16, that they are capable of moving longitudinallytherein,and springsfare applied against theirinner ends within the spools to press them I outward. To insert the spools in the carriages thejournals are pushed inward to allow their outer ends to pass the prongs e, and then after the journals arrive opposite the holes in the said prongs they are forced thereinto by their springs.

In order to provide for readily inserting the carriages, with the spools in them, into the chains, the edges of the links a have outwardlybeveled notches, as shown at a in Fig. 16 and in dotted outline in Fig. 17, and the outer ends of the journals are rounded, so that the latter will be sprung inward by being pressed against the beveled edges of the links, springing outward again and entering the bearings provided in the links when they arrive opposite thereto. To facilitate the removal of the carriages, with the spools in them, from the chains, when necessary, holes a are formed in links a (see Fig. 16) for the insertion of a pin to press against and push back the journals out of the links a. the carriages the journals have to be pushed inward beyond the prongs c.

G (1*, Figs. 1, 4, 5, and 13, are the clamps which draw the tuft-yarns from the spools and hold them while they are cut ofl' into the proper lengths and until they are taken by the nippers which insert them through the warp. These clamps (shown in Figs. 1, 4, and 5) consist of two straight-edged bars of a length at least equal to the width of the web to be woven, and the ends of which are firmly secured to the upper ends of two pairs of short levers, G G*, which are separately pivoted by pins gg* to the two arms G of a rock-shaft, G which is fitted to oscillate between center screws g g, or in bearings secured to the side frames of the loom. These clamps have attached totheir under sides similar toothed plates, 9 9, (best shown in Fig. 4,) theteeth of which are made to enter between and match with each other in To remove the spools from such way as not to prevent the straight edges of the clamps G G* from coming together, the said teeth being for the purpose of separating the tuft-yarns. The said clamps have an opening and closing movement and an upward and downward movement. The upward movement is produced by means of a cam, G, on the rotary main shaft S of the loom, the said cam acting upon a lever, G which works on a fixed fulcrum, g, secured to the main framing of the loom, and which is connected by a rod, 9 with one of the arms G The form of this cam G is shown in Fig. 6, which will euableits dotted outline to be traced in Fig. 1. An edge view of it is also shown in Fig. 2. The downward movement is produced by the weight of the clamps themselves and their connections. Their closing movement is produced by means of a cam, G, which operates on a lever, G", which works on a fixed fulcrum, 1 secured to the loom-framing, and which is connected by a rod, 9 with one arm, g of a rock-shaft, G

which works between center screws g, or in bearings secured to the side frames of the loom, and on which there are provided, near each end, two oppositely-proiccting arms, 9 g which connect respectively, by rods 0 0*, with the clamp-levers G G*. To produce the opening movement of the clamps, a spring, 9 is applied to connect the arm of the rockshaft G with the loom-framing, as shown in Fig. 1. This spring keeps the lever Gr close to the cam G H IF, Figs. 1, 2, 3, are the cutters for cutting off the tuft-pieces. The front cutter, H, consists of a straight-edged blade the cuttingedge of which is parallel with the breast-beam. The l0il1Cl1tLPl,H*, may have its cutting-edge straight and set obliquely to the edge of the cutter H, or it may, as represented in Fig. 3, haveits edge slanting backward from each end toward the center, either construction causing it to have a shear-like action with the front cutter. \Vhen the edge of 11* slants backward toward the center, as represented, the cutter II should have attached to it a pointed projection, h to pass over 11* and separate the portions of the tuft-yarns to be cut by one backward slant from those to be cut by the other backward slant of li and prevent any gathering of the said yarns in the angle formed by thcjunction of the two slants. The stocks or bars 11 I l to which these cutters are attached, have their ends fitted to work in horizontal slideways 11 H secured rigidly to the side frames of the loom. These cutter-stocks have imparted to them simply a direct forward and backward motion, which is produced by a single cam, H, which may be applied directly on the main shaft S, but is shown as consisting simply 'of a wing-piece bolted to the side of the nipper-closing cam K, which will be hereinafterdescribed. This cam 11 operates upon a lever, B, which is on a fixed fulcrum, h, secured to the lower part of the back of the loom-framing, and which is connected by a rod, h with the arm h of a rock-shaft, H which works between center screws h, or in bearings secured to the side frames of the loom. This rock-shaft also carries two other arms, h, which are connected by rods It with the ends of the rear-cutter stock 11, and thus serve to move the said stock back and forth. The said rock-shaft 11 also carries two similar cam-shaped arms, H, for operating the front cutter, the said cams acting upon the upper ends of two levers, h", which work upon two fixed fulcrum pins, It, srcured in the side frames of the loom, and the lower ends of which are connected by two rods, It, (see Fig. 3,) with the ends of the front-cutter stock B. The operation of the cam-shaped arms H will be explained with.

reference to Fig. 1, where a side view of one of the cams is represented. It will be seen that the lower portion, 6, of the c: the acting portion '6 has its edaec with the axis of the rock-shaft H ters are shown in Fig.1 as at theii distance apart when the roller at t end of the lever Id rests against the 0 its acting portion i. As the cam into operation on the lever 11' the I its action on the arm h, and rockcauses the arms h of the latter to ward the rear cutter stock, and the I the same time, by their action on the draw back the front-cutter stock unti of the front cutter comes close up tc yarns between the clamps and the s bottom of the chains, and the conce tions i of the cams 11 then coming the rollers on the levers If, the fro stops, while the continued moveme rock-shaft 11" and its arms h causes cutter to move forward and produc ting of the yarns.

It will be obvious that the cam H ing as shown, will only produce th movement of the cutters, and that a s connecting the lever [*1 with the looir as shown in Fig. 1, to draw up the s or some other means, will be employ arate the cutters.

The nippers for inserting the the web are shown in Figs. 1, 2,. Their construction is best illustrate 11 and 12. Those portions of thes which take hold of the tuft-yarn sented as made of two thin steel pla a length nearly equal to the width to be woven, and each slit, as shov 11, to produce a number of prongs the number of tufts to be inserte width of the web, two eorrespondir of the two plates constituting a pair for one wit. The said plates are otherwise firmly secured at two or m in their length to as many pairs jaws N N, which are pivoted tog stantially like the jaws of ordina ers, except that they are all pivot pivot, consisting of a long pin, runs through them all, and the end are firmly secured to two arms, a, made withjournalsn, Fig. 11, to titi in the ends of the two long arms N shaft, N, which works between cen n", or in bearings secured to the $l(l1 the loom, the said arms a and pin a crank, which turns in the said art for which the said arms N constitu ing and descending supports. The N are extended, as shown at w, Fi 12, for the passage between them 0 or conical wedges n, which are t'as a", which is fitted to slide through journals a, the said cams or wedge the purpose of closing the lips or pt nippers, which when not thereby held open by springs a, applied b plates n, and secured to the pin a.

mstructed and organized have tthree kinds-via, one upward d with the arms N ofthe rock- )f a semi-rotary character in the said arms, and an opening and ment. The upward and down- :nt is produced and controlled by semi-rotary movement by a cam, :losing movement and opening a cam, K, assisted by the springs e mentioned, the said cams being in shaft of the loom. t the cam 1 which produces the ownward movemeutof the arms ppers is shown in Fig. 8, and its otted in Fig. 1 that by a comparitter with Fig. 8 its position can ed. This cam acts directly upon ich works on a fixed fulcrum, 2' bolted to the lower back rail of ring, and which is connected by one of the arms N. which produces the semi-rotary nippers, by which, when they are re caused to be presented points kc the tuft-yarns, and when they they are presented points down- 3 the tufts into the web, is shown )peratcs directly upon a lever, J, on a fixed fulcrum, j, secured to side frame of the loom, and which by a rod,j, with an elbow-lever, is on a fixed fulcrum,j*, and conrear end of asliding rack-rd,j ished on the front part of its una toothed rack, j, which gears IS a pinion,j fast on one of the irnals a, and so turns the nippers -f halfa revolution back and forth. works transversely through the and under a guidc-roller,j seof the arms N, and in order to e oscillation of the said rod with t N, while retaining its connecelbow-lever J the said connecby a suitably-curved slot in the ver, and a pin secured to the said 1 atj in Fig. l. ,for producing the closing movenippers, is shown in Fig. 7, and 1. It operates directly upon a ich works on a fixed fulcrumfk, he right-hand side frame of the llOll connects by a rod, k, with :r, K which is like the lever J on the opposite side of the loom lcruin, k This elbow-lever K 1 with it, by aconnection just like scribed, a sliding rod, 76 which ersely through the rock-shaft, as 10, just as the rodj does. This through a guide, 7c, on the con- N of the rock-shaft N and is its front end with a pin, which oblique slot, 70 in the end of a noving lever, K", which works on [the contiguous arm N of the rock-shaft N and which is connected with the rod 91 The movement of the sliding rod 70 in a backward direction produces a longitudinal movement of the rod a" in a direction to force the cams or wedges a between the parts n of the jaws of the nippers, and thereby effects the closing of the nippers. The forward movement of the said rod 70 produces longitudinal movement of the rod a in the opposite direction, and withdraws the cams or wedges a, and allows the nippers to be opened by their springs 11".

It may be observed that since the rods j and 70 work through the rock-shaft N and have slotted connections with their respective levers J and K the operations of turning the nippers and of opening and closing them are effected while they are being raised and lowered by the oscillation of said rock-shaft.

The construction and separate operations of the several parts of the invention having now been described, I willproceed to describe the series of operations by which the tuft-yarns are presented, the tuft-pieces held and cutofi', and the tufts inserted into and secured in the web.

The operation may be said to commence with the stoppage of the spool-carrying chains with a spool-carriage and spool at the bottom of the chains, as shown in Fig. 1. The tuft-yarns then project a sufficient distance through the tins or holders 1) to be laid hold ofby the clamps G (3*, which at this time have risen to their highest position and are open. The clamps then close upon the yarns and descend a distance equal to the length of yarn required for the tufts and draw off the proper quantity from the spool. While the clamps remain closed the cutters approach and pass each other and cut off thetul't-pieces of yarn. The nippers n a, which have been ascending in an open condition, and have been turned as they ascended to bring their points upward, arrive close under the clamps and close upon the tuft-pieces before the clamps open. The clamps then open, leaving the tuft-pieces in the nippers, with the greater portion'of the length of the tuft-pieces projecting beyond the points ofthe nippers. The nippers then descend, and while the shed is closed they pass through the warp, close to the fell, far enough to carry through the latter all those portions of the tuft-pieces which project beyond their points. They then return only far enough to withdraw their points from the warp and leave one-half the length of the tuft-pieces above and the other half below the center of the warp, where they are held by the friction of the latter when they (the nippers) stop, remaining closed while the operations of opening the shed, inserting and beating up the filling, and closing the shed are performed. This leaves haltor one end ofeach tuft-piece secured in the web by the shot of fillingjust put in. When the lay has got back far enough out of the way the nippers descend again through the warp to put in the other ends of the tuft-pieces, then open and again ascend,

leaving the completed tufts in the warp to be finally secured by the next shot of filling. This last ascent of the nippers is continued to the position where they take a new course of tuftpieces, as at first described, their turning over to present theirpoints upward being effected by the cam J and the rack-barf, and their connections, while their ascent bodily with the arms N, which carry them, is effected by the cam I.

I will remark that my several herein-described improvements are applicable not only to looms of the ordinary type-that is to say, organized forproducing the web in a horizontal direction,

like that shown in the accompanying drawings-but my said improvements may be embodied in a loom organized for producing the web in a vertical direction, the lay in such case moving vertically, or nearly so; and in such a loom the nippers and clamps would require to have horizontal movements instead of the upward and downward movements herein described, and the cutters would require to move vertically. Other changes would also have to bemade for a loom organized as last mentioned; but these would suggest themselves to the experienced loom-builder.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with the tuft-yarn spools and their carriages. and carrying-chains, of clamps for drawing off the yarn from the said spools and holding the same, cutters operating between the said clamps, and a spool-carriage held stationary by said chains, and mechanism foroperat-ing the said chains, clamps, and cutters, substantially as herein described.

2. The combination, with clamps for holding the tuft-pieces, of nippers and mechanism for giving the latter a semi-rotary motion and a motion toward and from the plane or planes occupied by the warp and web for taking the tuft-pieces from said clamps, turning them over, and inserting them into the warp, substantially as herein described.

3. The combination, with nippers for inserting the tufts into the warp, of meausof giving the said nippers a movement twice through the warp and back, means of closing them before entering the warp and of keeping them closed during their first entry, first return, and second entry, and means of opening them before their second return, substantially as herein described.

4. The combination of the tuft-yarn spools, their carriagesand carry ing-chains, clamps for drawing off the tuft-yarns from said spools and holding them while being cut, cutters for cutting off the tuft-pieces, and nippers for taking the tuft-pieces from said clamps and inserting them into the warp, all arranged and operating on one side of the plane or planes occupied by the warp and woven web, and mechanism for operating the said chains, clamps, cutters, and nippers, substantially as herein described.

5. In a loom for weaving tul'ted fabrics, the

combination, with tuft-inserting nippers, of mechanism forgiving the said nippers an opening and closing movement, mechanism for giving them a movement toward and from the plane or planes occupied by the warp and web, and a mechanism for giving them semi-rotary movement, by which their points are presented directly toward the warp preparatory to the insertion of the tufts, and completelyinverted or turned directly away from the warp for the' chains, of spool-carriages constructed with forked ends adapted to form bearings for the edges of the links of said chains, and spools constructed with longitudinally-movable journals which enter the forked ends of the carriages and also enter the chain links, and which thereby secure the carriages rigidly to the chains, substantially as herein set forth.

8. The combination, with the clamps G G*, of the levers G G*, the rock-shaft G3 and its arms G the rock-shaft G and its arms g 9 the rods 0 0*, cams for operating the said rockshafts, and means for connecting said rockshafts with said cams, all substantially as herein described.

9. The combination, with the cutter-stocks H H*, of the rock-shaft H furnished with arms 71/ [L3 and cams H the levers h the rods h h", connecting the arms h and levers h with the cutters, a cam for operating the said rockshaft, and means for connecting said rock-shaft with said cam, all substantially as herein described.

10. The combination, with the nippers and their crank n n n and pinion j, of the rockshaft N and arms N, a cam for operating the said rock-shaft, the rack j and rack-rod 9' the lever J a cam for operating the said lever, and means for connecting said lever with said cam,all substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

11. The combination, with the nippers and crank for carrying the same, and means for supporting said crank, of a rod fitted to slide through the journals of the said crank, cones upon the said rod operating between the jaws of the nippers for the purpose of closing the same, and means for producing the movements of said crank and rods, substantially as herein described.

- ALBERT L. SKINNER.

Witnesses:

FREDK. HAYNES, A. O. WEBB. 

